NASHVILLE Tenn. — A Republican state lawmaker says he wants to freeze tuition at Tennessee’s colleges and universities despite criticism from education officials that such a proposal would eliminate funds needed to sustain essential programs and basic operation.
Sen. Jim Summerville of Dickson announced this week that he plans to file legislation during the next session to keep tuition at the current rates for several years.
The Tennessee Board of Regents and the University of Tennessee system recently adopted tuition hikes ranging from 3 to 6 percent.
“The current increases are an outrage, especially in light of this year’s increase in appropriations to … higher education systems,” Summerville said in a news release.
Gov. Bill Haslam approved more than $100 million for higher education in his budget this year.
Tennessee Board of Regents Chancellor John Morgan said colleges and universities are grateful for the appropriation, but he said “one year of increased funding doesn’t undo the many years’ worth of reduced state appropriations that have shifted the funding of public higher education away from the state and onto our students.”
He said freezing tuition hikes could adversely affect essential higher education programs, as well as one of Haslam’s main education plans.
